November 18, 2025
A joint statement from the Bay Area Asset Funders Network (AFN), San Francisco Foundation (SFF), and East Bay Community Foundation (EBCF) on the 10th Anniversary of the Shuumi Land Tax
As philanthropic organizations operating on the unceded territories of the Lisjan Ohlone people, we have an opportunity—and responsibility—to move beyond acknowledgment toward meaningful action. Today, we invite our colleagues across the funding landscape to join us in supporting Indigenous land sovereignty through the Shuumi Land Tax.
Each of our organizations has embraced paying the Shuumi Land Tax because we recognize that philanthropy operates within systems that have historically displaced and harmed Indigenous communities. Our commitment to Shuumi represents more than financial support—it embodies our dedication to disrupting patterns of extraction and moving toward restorative relationship-building.
“At San Francisco Foundation, paying the Shuumi Land Tax is a meaningful act of acknowledgment—recognizing the Lisjan Ohlone people as the original stewards of our East Bay land,” said Jes Montesinos, Senior Director of the Place Pathway at San Francisco Foundation. “This commitment aligns with our values: ensuring Bay Area residents, including Native community members, can remain rooted in their communities.”
